Monday, January 23, 2012

While everyone makes mistakes, very few people can say they've been offered support by an NFL Pro-Bowler. San Francisco 49ers WR Kyle Williams is one of those select few.

After Williams' overtime fumble lead to a loss in yesterday's NFC Championship game against New York Giants, Baltimore Ravens K Billy Cundiff called Kyle Williams personally to share his sympathy.

"I feel for him, I definitely do," said Cundiff, who once missed a 32-yard field goal in an AFC Championship loss to the New England Patriots. "I've been in that situation before and it definitely hurts."

While Cundiff admits that he still hasn't fully gotten over the botched kick, he says that both time and the support from fans in the greater New England area proved to be very helpful.

"It's was really tough at first," Cundiff added. "But the minutes go by and you start to focus more on the future and less on the past. I'm just very fortunate so many devout Patriots have been so supportive."

While Williams has refused to speak to the media following his gaff, he does have another high-profile supporter. New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg has officially extended an offer for Williams to be his guest of honor at this years Super Bowl parade if the Giants emerge victorious.

Monday, January 9, 2012

INDIANAPOLIS - While Colt fans begin to focus their attention on the impending quarterback battle between former MVP Peyton Manning and rookie sensation Andrew Luck, last year's starter Dan Orlovsky has been working as hard as ever to prepare for the Colts' 2012 season.

The potential free agent's regimen, which began a mere 18 hours after the Colts' season-ending loss to the Jaguars that secured the first pick in the NFL Draft, is designed to build cardiocasvular and physical strength.

Each morning, Orlovsky straps himself to his Ford F-150 pickup truck and pulls it three miles to the Colts' practice facility. He earned the starting job earlier this year after injuries to Manning, Kerry Collins, and Curtis Painter.

Upon arriving at the facility, the career backup starts with three miles of uphill sprinting, four miles of counter-current swimming, two hours splitting wood, high-intensity kick-boxing, krav maga, yoga, hurdles, and burpees, all before hitting the gym for an afternoon of weight training and passing drills.

"I've never seen anything like it," said long-time security guard Albert Douglass, who once doubted the Colts' decision to sign the QB who lead the Lions to an 0-16 season. "He's really a machine out there."

Colts' WR Austin Collie, who is currently vacationing in Maui, also expressed shock in how hard the quarterback who once ran out the back of his own end zone was working.

"I get 9-10 texts a day asking if I can come in and work on our timing. If I don't respond immediately, he calls and leaves incredibly nasty voice-messages about how I was the reason we only won two games last season and how I need to 'get serious about what it means to be a Colt'. He also organizes daily team-building events on Facebook, including trips to Six Flags, afternoons at low-ropes courses, and happy hours at local Karaoke bars.

Orlovsky declined to be interviewed, as he was "too busy reading up on the playbook and studying game film." He then sat down at his computer to put the finishing touches on his designs for Dan Orlovsky Bobblehead Day.